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Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity

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Abstract

Pronounced cardiovascular reactivity to stress is a behavioral mechanism that may underlie the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). Based on the greater incidence of CHD among males than among females, the purpose of the current investigation was to test the hypothesis that in young adults (ages 17–29), males (n=47) show more cardiovascular reactivity than females (n=61) to two stressors, a video game and cigarette smoking. Five of the six comparisons did not support the hypothesis: females were higher on heart rate and diastolic blood pressure reactivity to both Stressors; males were higher on systolic blood pressure reactivity to the video game only. The results suggest that females may be particularly physiologically reactive to cigarette smoking.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 5401 Wilkens Avenue, 21228, Catonsville, Maryland

    Stephanie V. Stone & Theodore M. Dembroski

  2. Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 20014, Bethesda, Maryland

    Paul T. Costa Jr.

  3. Department of Psychology, Eckerd College, 33733, St. Petersburg, Florida

    James M. MacDougall

Authors
  1. Stephanie V. Stone
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  2. Theodore M. Dembroski
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  3. Paul T. Costa Jr.
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  4. James M. MacDougall
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Conduct of this research was supported by a research grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL-36027).

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Stone, S.V., Dembroski, T.M., Costa, P.T. et al. Gender differences in cardiovascular reactivity. J Behav Med 13, 137–156 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844995

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